If you never had a chance to listen to “This I Believe” on NPR, then you have been missing out. Although the series does not air any longer, you can still access many of the recordings, and there are books available as well. The best way to describe these personal essays is this paragraph from ThisIBelieve.org: “This I Believe is based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. Each day, Americans gathered by their radios to hear compelling essays from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller, and Harry Truman as well as corporate leaders, cab drivers, scientists, and secretaries—anyone able to distill into a few minutes the guiding principles by which they lived. These essayists’ words brought comfort and inspiration to a country worried about the Cold War, McCarthyism, and racial division.”
You can find recent recordings from the show here. The appropriateness of the recordings for school depends on the age-level of the children. I have used pieces of the “This I Believe” high school curriculum originally provided through NPR with my 5th grade GT students.
The other day I bookmarked an intriguing Tweet from Drew Frank (@ugafrank) about a “This I Believe” video created by a student for a class. I finally had the chance to view it last night, and I was blown away by the message and creativity. The student’s name is Kasey Tamamoto, and her video is definitely appropriate for all age levels. As soon as I viewed it, I knew it would be the subject of today’s post. There seem to be quite a few of these videos on YouTube. I haven’t watched them yet, but I bet there are some other exceptional examples as well.
For more inspirational videos for students, visit my Pinterest Board or this post on my top 3 favorites. I also have a Pinterest Board of Inspirational Videos for Teachers – where Kasey’s video would fit just as well!
I love that you are introducing students to this idea. It helps students form their ideas around their own beliefs. My church has had various people sharing their “This I Believe” statements, and I think this example would be a beautiful one for Children’s Time during our service. I love that you work so hard not only on academic excellence in your children, but on the humanity side of them as well. Thanks for your great work.
Thank you for your very kind comment!
I love this! I wish I still my class right now so I could incorporate it into an activity! 🙂 Next year.
I bet you could come up with great ideas for this!